hold back

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hold (someone, something, or an animal) back (from someone or something)

to restrain someone, something, or an animal from getting at or getting to someone or something. The parents held the children back from the cake and ice cream until the hostess said she was ready. Please hold back your dog.

See also: back, hold

hold back (on something)

to withhold something; to give or take only a limited amount. Hold back on the gravy. I'm on a diet. That's enough. Hold back. Save some for the others.

See also: back, hold

hold something back also hold back something

to keep something secret They talk about everything and hold back nothing.

See also: back, hold

hold back (from doing something)

to avoid doing something Unable to hold back, we screamed with laughter. We were worried about viewers' reactions, so we held back from broadcasting the show.

See also: back, hold

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After the encounter at Vyazma, where Kutuzov had been unable to hold back his troops in their anxiety to overwhelm and cut off the enemy and so on, the farther movement of the fleeing French, and of the Russians who pursued them, continued as far as Krasnoe without a battle. War and Peace by Tolstoy, Leo View in context I can hold back no longer," and, as he spoke, the huge savage, struck full in the forehead with a rifle-ball, fell headlong to the ground. Five Weeks in a Balloon by Verne, Jules View in context The oligarchs believed their ethics, in spite of the fact that biology and evolution gave them the lie; and, because of their faith, for three centuries they were able to hold back the mighty tide of human progress--a spectacle, profound, tremendous, puzzling to the metaphysical moralist, and one that to the materialist is the cause of many doubts and reconsiderations. The Iron Heel by London, Jack View in context			ho-hum hoard up hoarse as a crow hobnob with Hobson's choice hock hoe hoe own row hog hog wild hoist hoist a few hoist with own petard Hoist your sail when the wind is fair hold hold a gun to head hold a meeting hold accountable hold against hold all the aces hold all the cards hold at hold at arm's length hold at bay hold attention hold back hold breath hold by hold court hold down hold end of the bargain up hold end up Hold everything! hold feet to the fire hold fire hold for hold for ransom hold forth hold good hold good for hold ground hold hand hold head high hold head up hold head up high hold horses Hold horses! hold hostage hold in hold in abeyance hold in check			hold against hold against hold against hold against hold against hold against hold all the aces hold all the cards hold aloft hold an argument hold an inquiry hold an office hold an opinion Hold And Modify hold apart hold as a hostage hold as hostage hold at Hold At Airborne Hold At Airport for Pickup hold at arm's length hold at bay hold at bay hold at bay hold at bay hold at bay hold at bay hold at fault hold attention hold authority hold back hold back action hold back by force hold back for a rainy day Hold Back the Fire Hold Baggage Scanner/Scanning hold breath hold breath hold breath hold breath hold breath hold button hold by hold by force hold captive hold cheap hold cheap hold cheap hold cheap hold cheap hold circuit hold close hold control hold conversations hold court hold court Hold Current hold dear hold dear hold dear hold dear

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